Ponytail Holder

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a ponytail holder which in the closed state has an annular shape and is formed from an outer and an inner holding strip ( 4, 5 ), between which the hair forming the ponytail can be received, wherein the outer holding strip ( 4 ) is made to be continuous and is provided with a respective closure formation ( 6, 8 ) at each of its end portions so that the end portions can be fixed to each other in the closed state, and wherein the inner holding strip ( 5 ) is connected to the outer holding strip ( 4 ) inwardly of the closure formations ( 6, 8 ).

The invention relates to a ponytail holder.

A so-called ponytail is a hairstyle in which (long) hair is held together at the back of the head by a hair tie, a ribbon or other holder or accessory.

For persons who have very thin hair and/or sparse or thinning hair, a diameter of the ponytail in the area of the hair tie or holder is fairly small. In these cases, there is occasionally a desire to make the ponytail appear more voluminous.

DE 10 2016 108 781 A1 discloses arranging an insert in the interior of the ponytail, around which the hair forming the ponytail is arranged, with the hair tie etc. then being applied around the hair. The insert provides the ponytail with a larger diameter.

A drawback of this insert is that it is not quite easy to arrange the insert inside the ponytail in such a way that it is not visible and also does not slip out over the course of the day. Moreover, such an insert further requires an additional accessory to secure the hair such as, e.g., a hair tie, i.e., the insert is not usable on its own without further aids to create a hairstyle.

The object of the invention is to provide a holder for a ponytail by means of which a larger diameter is obtained than by the actual volume of the hair and which in addition is easy to handle.

To achieve this object, according to the invention a ponytail holder is provided which in the closed state has an annular shape and is formed from an outer and an inner holding strip, between which the hair forming the ponytail can be received, wherein the outer holding strip is made to be continuous and is provided with a respective closure formation at each of its end portions so that the end portions can be fixed to each other in the closed state, and wherein the inner holding strip is connected to the outer holding strip inwardly of the closure formations. The invention is based on the idea of providing an enclosed volume between the two holding strips, through which the hair is passed. As a result of the shape of the ponytail holder, the hair forming the ponytail is held in the area of the holder as a ring which has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of a cylinder formed by the hair, i.e. owing to the cavity produced in the middle of the ponytail, significantly more volume is obtained in the hairstyle than is the case when an alternative ponytail holder, e.g. a hair tie, is used alone. Since the two holding strips constitute an enclosed volume, the holder cannot shift out of place either. The closure formation, which is formed directly in the outer holding strip, allows the ponytail holder to be closed in a particularly simple manner.

The holding strips are made of a flexible plastic material, so that when the closure is open, the annular shape can be bent open and the hair can be placed in the intermediate space between the two holding strips. Then, when the closure is closed again, the holding strips will come to rest tightly against each other again, so that the hair is held in place between the two holding strips. This also fixes the ponytail holder in place on the hair.

According to a preferred embodiment, the outer holding strip has a curved shape in the open state of the ponytail holder, and the inner holding strip extends in the nature of a secant at least in sections. This results in a large inner volume in the open state, through which the hair can be passed in a simple manner without the ponytail holder having to be held open with one hand.

It may be provided that the inner holding strip is configured to have a straight middle portion and two end portions that are angled in relation to the middle portion and are connected to the outer holding strip. This design makes it easier for the inner holding strip to fit against the outer holding strip in the closed state of the ponytail holder, thereby resulting in a uniform curvature of the outer holding strip.

The two holding strips may be connected to each other by a material bridge, so that the deformability in the area of the transition from the inner holding strip to the outer holding strip can be adjusted as desired.

The two holding strips are preferably made in one piece, in particular from a flexible plastic material that is injection molded. This results in low manufacturing costs.

The closure may be configured like a hook or in the nature of a snap fastener so that it can be easily closed and can also be designed as part of the outer holding strip with little effort and without additional parts.

The two holding strips preferably consist of a flexible plastic material which in particular may be injection molded.

According to a preferred embodiment, provision is made that the inner holding strip is provided with an insert. The insert allows the ponytail holder to be adjusted with little effort to different diameters of the shock of hair from which the ponytail is to be formed by using the insert to vary the free space between the inner and outer holding strips.

The insert may be non-detachably connected to the inner holding strip, in particular by adhesive bonding or owing to its manufacture by means of a two-component injection molding process, so that there is no need for the insert to be handled separately.

If it is firmly attached to the ponytail holder, the insert is preferably formed from a material that has a higher compressibility than the material of the first and second holding strips. The high compressibility compensates for differences in the volume of the shock of hair to be held.

As an alternative to a firmly attached insert, it may be provided that the insert is connected to the inner holding strip by means of a releasable fastening formation, in particular by means of projections that are clipped into associated openings. This makes it possible to use different inserts, for example of different lengths and/or different thicknesses, and thus to allow a user to personalize the ponytail holder so as to ensure an optimum fit.

The invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment that is depicted in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a ponytail holder according to the invention in an open state;

FIG. 2 shows the ponytail holder of FIG. 1 in a perspective view from below;

FIG. 3 shows the ponytail holder of FIG. 1 in a closed state; and

FIG. 4 shows a side view of an insert used with the ponytail holder of FIGS. 1 to 3 .

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a ponytail holder 2 which has an annular shape when in the closed state (see FIG. 3 ).

The ponytail holder 2 has an outer holding strip 4 and an inner holding strip 5.

When the ponytail holder 2 is in the open state (see FIG. 1 ), the outer holding strip 4 is curved and extends over an angular range of about 180 degrees.

At its ends, the outer holding strip 4 is provided with two closure formations 6, 8 which, when joined together, constitute a closure 10 (see FIG. 3 ).

The closure formation 6 is configured as a mushroom head here, and the closure formation 8 is in the form of an opening through which the mushroom head can be fitted so that it snaps into place on the inside.

In the open state of the ponytail holder 2, the inner holding strip 5 extends in the manner of a secant and here includes a middle portion 5M which extends straight and two end portions 5E which are angled in relation to the middle portion.

The end portions 5E are oriented here in such a way that they extend approximately parallel to that portion of the outer holding strip 4 that is opposite to them.

The ends of the two end portions 5E facing away from the middle portion 5M continue into the outer holding strip 4 by means of a material bridge 12. The material bridge 12 acts in the manner of a hinge.

As a result of the configuration of the hinge-type material bridges 12 and the orientation of the end portions 5E, the middle portion 5M of the inner holding strip 5 extends almost parallel to the outer holding strip 4 (see FIG. 3 ).

The two holding strips 4, 5 are preferably made integrally with each other, in particular in an injection molding process. The two holding strips 4, 5 consist of a flexible and elastic plastic material.

In the open state (see FIG. 1 ), an opening 14 is formed between the outer holding strip 4 and the inner holding strip 5, through which a user can fit her or his shock of hair. Subsequently, the hair is evenly distributed between the two holding strips 4, 5, and the ponytail holder 2 is closed by pushing the closure formation 6 through the closure formation 8.

In FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the opening 14 is then annular and extends over an angular range of more than 300 degrees from one material bridge 12 to the other material bridge 12. In this way, the hair is trapped in the opening 14 between the two holding strips 4, 5 and, when viewed in cross-section, defines a hollow cylinder having a diameter larger than the diameter of the hair if it were held together as a solid ponytail.

The ponytail holder 2 may be provided with an insert 16 that is attached to one of the holding strips 4, 5 to reduce the free cross-section of the opening 14.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the insert 16 is attached to the inner holding strip 5, more specifically to the middle portion 5M.

The insert 16 is designed to be exchangeable so that inserts of different sizes can be used. These differ with respect to their thickness and/or with respect to their length. This allows the ponytail holder to be adjusted so that it fits well even in the case of different hair volumes.

The insert 16 is designed here as a strip-shaped component (see FIG. 4 ). It has a respective fastening formation 18 at each of its ends, by means of which it can be detachably secured to the inner holding strip 5. The fastening formation 18 here is in each case configured as a mushroom-like head which can be clipped into a suitable opening 20 on the inner holding strip.

Basically, the insert 16 may also be connected to the inner holding strip 5 in other ways, for example by an adhesive strip, a hook-and-loop fastener or the like.

Provision may be made for the ponytail holder 2 to be supplied together with a plurality of different inserts 16 which differ with regard to their lengths and/or thicknesses. If the ponytail holder 2 comes with two inserts 16, it can be configured to have three different sized openings 14, that is, without an insert, with a small insert, and with a large insert. In this way, the ponytail holder can be adapted to the ponytail of a user having a lot of hair and/or thick hair (i.e., a “thick” ponytail), a medium ponytail, and a thin ponytail.

It is also possible to design the insert 16 to be non-detachable from the ponytail holder 2, so that an individual configuration is not required.

The insert 16 may, for example, be integrally molded with the inner holding strip 5 in a two-component injection molding process in such a way that the insert 16 is not releasable.

In that case, the insert 16 is preferably made from a material that is much more easily compressible than the material of the two holding strips 4, 5 (for example, a material similar to foamed plastic), so that the insert 16 will deform to a greater or lesser extent depending on the volume of the ponytail. 

1. A ponytail holder which in the closed state has an annular shape and is formed from an outer and an inner holding strip (4, 5), between which the hair forming the ponytail can be received, wherein the outer holding strip (4) is made to be continuous and is provided with a respective closure formation (6, 8) at each of its end portions so that the end portions can be fixed to each other in the closed state, and wherein the inner holding strip (5) is connected to the outer holding strip (4) inwardly of the closure formations (6, 8).
 2. The ponytail holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer holding strip (4) has a curved shape in the open state of the ponytail holder and the inner holding strip (5) extends in the nature of a secant at least in sections.
 3. The ponytail holder according to claim 2, characterized in that the inner holding strip (5) is configured to have a straight middle portion (5M) and two end portions (5E) that are angled in relation to the middle portion (5M) and are connected to the outer holding strip (4).
 4. The ponytail holder according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two holding strips (4, 5) are connected to each other by a material bridge (12).
 5. The ponytail holder according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two holding strips (4, 5) are made in one piece.
 6. The ponytail holder according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure (10) formed by the closure formations (6, 8) is configured like a hook or in the nature of a snap fastener.
 7. The ponytail holder according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure (10) is formed from the material of the holding strips (4, 5).
 8. The ponytail holder according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding strips (4, 5) consist of a flexible plastic material.
 9. The ponytail holder according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner holding strip (5) is provided with an insert (16).
 10. The ponytail holder according to claim 9, characterized in that the insert (16) is non-detachably connected to the inner holding strip (5), in particular by adhesive bonding or owing to its manufacture by means of a two-component injection molding process.
 11. The ponytail holder according to claim 10, characterized in that the insert (16) consists of a material having a compressibility that is higher than that of the material of the first and second holding strips (4, 5).
 12. The ponytail holder according to claim 9, characterized in that the insert (16) is connected to the inner holding strip (5) by means of a releasable fastening formation (18, 20), in particular by means of projections that are clipped into associated openings. 